Japanese army officers examining foreign military equipment. A Japanese worker employing electric drill developed in a Western country. The Japanese freighter, Tatsuno Maru, loading scrap iron at a port in the United States. Other Japanese freighters loading coal and oil for shipment back to Japan. View of the Washington Naval Conference in Memorial Continental Hall, Washington, DC, held in 1921-22 and again in 1927 and 1930, to deal with several lingering issues. Glimpse of Japanese people holding flags while gathered near the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Glimpse of Japanese army troops on parade. Japanese Navy warships at sea. A fleet of Japanese Mitsubishi G3M bombers and Nakajima Ki-27 pursuit planes, parked on an airfield. A loose formation of Ki-27s airborne. Animated map illustrates Japanese fortification of Mariana, Caroline, and Marshall islands in the Pacific. Animated map illustrating China's greater size and population vis-a-vis Japan. Animated map illustrating Japanese occupation of Manchuria in 1931. New York Times newspaper with headline "Japs Seize Manchuria" hovers over fires burning in Manchuria. Other newspaper headlines reporting on Mussolini's invasion of Ethiopia; the Spanish civil war; surrender of Czechoslovakia; invasion of Poland; Nazi assaults on France, Belgium, and the Netherlands; the London Blitz; and Nazi advances against Russia on the Eastern Front. Fnally, a Boston Hearald extra edition headline reports: "Pearl Harbor Bombed." A still photograph of Japanese Baron Tanaka Giichi (on left) with two other dignitaries, circa 1929. Japanese infantry streaming into Manchuria and then celebrating as they walk into local town. A busy street in a Chinese city. Japanese soldiers in Manchuria escorting local prisoners along a street. Animated map illustrating Japananese warships surrounding harbor of Shanghai, China. View from a Japanese ship bombarding Shanghai. Smoke rising from shell striking on Shanghai waterfront. View from land of severely damaged buildings on a street, and a shell exploding in background, as Chinese defenders move to successfully repel the Japanese forces. New map illustrates subsequent Japanese move, annexing Jehol, from occupied Manchukuo, and Korea. Japanese troops entering a town in Jehol. Sun newspaper headline: "League Censures Japan." Chinese diplomat protesting at League of Nations. Japanese troops exiting railroad trains in Jehol. Aisin Gioro Puyi aka Henry Pu Yi, Kangde Emperor (Kang-te Emperor) of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo, is seen saluting Japanese troops on parade. Closeup of Puyi wearing shaded glasses, looking directly into the camera. chiang Kai-shek, with other Chinese officers. Reenactment of barbarian forces riding against China and thwarted by the Great Wall. Many Chinese walking in a long line along the Great Wall. Map tracing the Great Wall across China. Aerial view of the Great Wall from overflying airplane. Japanese troops marching through a city gate; infantry climbing a sheer cliff; and helmeted Japanese soldiers marching past civilians in a city. Map illustrated progress of Chinese unification by year 1937. Japanese officers conferring during occupation. Japanese troops leave a barracks, riding in open trucks. A line of the troop trucks moving along the dirt street of a town. The troops climb from their trucks in the town.

After brief opening scenes of U.S. ships bombed in Pearl Harbor in 1941, the clip recounts Japanese invasion of China following the September 1931 Mukden Incident, and diplomatic League of Nations efforts in 1932 to diffuse the situation. Japanese troops invade Manchuria and China. Japanese troops march with rifles in hands. Board at League of Nations entrance reads 'Societe De Nations'. Guards in uniform stand in front of a gate. Members attend the League of Nations meeting. Japanese delegates leave after resigning. Japanese air raid in China. Japanese troops invade Shanghai. Fleet of Japanese aircraft in flight. They bomb over Chinese targets. Chinese troops moving in mass on the Great Wall of China.

Series 'Why We Fight' episode "Prelude to War" depicts the battles during World War II. United States soldiers parade on street lead by a band. Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor.December 7, 1941. The London Blitz with buildings destroyed and burning. The Eiffel Tower in Paris with Nazi flag flying atop it. German troops marching into Paris, through the Arch of Triumph. Japanese warplanes bombing shanghai, China, in 1937. Chinese residents running for shelter. Glimpse of German "Schwerer Gustav" 80 cmrailway gun firing during German offensive against Soviet Union in 1941. German forces entering Czechoslovakia in 1938. German mounted troops entering France in 1940. Heavy guns firing. German ships en route to Norway 1940. German Ju-52 aircraft flying low over trees. Montage showing rapid succession of war scenes, including heavy guns firing, smoke rising, explosions, an aircraft shot down and crashing straight down, German armor on the move, German Ju-52 aircraft dropping paratroopers into Holland and one flying over Athens, Greece, with Mount Lykabettus in the background. More of the same with Narrator mentioning Belgium, Albania, Yugoslavia, and Russia (where citizens are seen digging anti-tank trenches and fortifications). Cavalry charging across a field. A German tank rolling forward. A German Dornier Do-17 bomber taking off, and bombs falling.

Japanese occupation of Shanghai International Settlement following attack on Pearl harbor, in World War 2. Civilians are seen gathered in the Bund area Of Shanghai. Across the street are seen buildings of the International Settlement, including the British consulate and adjacent headquarters of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC). Several Japanese marines drive past the camera, in vehicles, including two Type 92 Chiyoda Armored Cars. They lead a column of open trucks filled with Imperial Marines, who wave at spectators on the sidewalks. Camera zooms in on the HSBC building entrance, where Japanese soldiers and marines climb down from a truck and deploy to the building entrance and down the street, on foot. Next, marines are seen guarding and patrolling a now empty street. Camera focuses on a large Japanese rising sun flag displayed on the now occupied HSBC building. Marines guard the entrance of the building, where a paper sign is posted announcing the occupation in Japanese. Next, another Chiyoda Armored Car is seen leading a parade of Japanese marines. View from within the marching marines as they proceed along the street. They pass a group of rickshaws and drivers at one point. Camera zooms in momentarily on the rising sun flag carried by a color guard at head of the marchers. Scene shifts to boats in the Shanghai harbor. Most are ferry boats on one kind or another. But one is the American river gunboat, USS Wake (PR-3), which was captured while docked, and now displays the Japanese flag. At end of film, Japanese narrator mentions this, and also that the British gunboat, HMS Peterel (unseen) was sunk.

Inhabitants of the International Settlement in Shanghai, China, line sidewalks to watch as Japanese Imperial marines enter and occupy the British and American controlled parts of the city in the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Japanese marines in open trucks wave to the spectators. Camera focuses momentarily on a large Japanese flag displayed on one building, where Japanese guards stand outside. Japanese soldiers climb down from a truck and enter the building. Several armed Japanese marines walk in the street. Some people in the Settlement seem intent on going about their normal activities, notwithstanding the presence of the Japanese military. However, one street is empty except for Japanese soldiers who stand guard. At the doorway of a building there, a sign is posted in Japanese referring to its occupation by Japanese military. A Type 92 Chiyoda Armored Car proceeds down a street, heading a parade of Japanese marines, led by one carrying the Japanese Rising Sun flag. Camera pans over boats in the harbor. Most appear to passenger-carrying ferry boats. At the end, the narrator refers to the sinking of the HMS Peterel and the capture of the USS Wake, the last British and American gunboats in Shanghai. The British riverboat HMS Peterel, operating on the Yangtse river, refused to surrender and was sunk (although nobody was killed) and the American Gunboat, USS Wake (PR-3) is seen near the end of the film, flying the Japanese flag, at the Shanghai dock where it was captured by the Japanese.

Sign over American Embassy in China. Colonel William Mayer, former military attache in that embassy relates events precipitating Second Sino-Japanese war. Scenes of the Marco Polo bridge near Peking, on night of July 7, 1937, as Japanese artillery bombards the area. Animated map shows movement of Japanese forces out of Manchuria to occupy Peiping and Tientsin. Victorious Japanese troops stand atop a building, raising their flags and shouting cries of victory. Japanese army officers sit around a table smiling and contended and others walk in a group. Chinese artillery crews are seen retaliating as they fire field pieces at Japanese positions in Shanghai. Shells explode in background, and Chinese infantry advance through damaged buildings and rubble. Animated map shows Shanghai and other cities, and film transitions to view of the bustling city of Shanghai on the Yangtze River. In the seaport, large ocean liners and freighters, as well as tug boats and Junks, are seen. What looks like a Japanese Tachikawa Ki.54 Type 1 transport plane takes off over a Chinese pagoda. Double-decker buses travel through the streets. Rickshaws are also seen. Map outlines the foreign residential areas of the French Concession and the International Settlement. American, British and Japanese flags are shown in the International Settlement. Detachments of troops from Japan, Britain, France, and United States Marines are seen. A U.S. Marine is posted as a sentry at the Shanghai Power Company. Coolies carry heavy bucket on a long pole. British, French and Japanese troops also performed sentry duties. Japanese troops and armored cars are seen. A scuffle breaks out in August, 1937, and Japanese soldiers start moving in trucks, take up firing positions, and begin firing guns from their armored cars. Map shows Chinese counterattack pushing the Japanese contingent toward the Khangpoo River. Next it shows Japanese warships and reinforcements in the Yangtze River and their advance toward Woosung and Shanghai. Views of Japanese warships bombarding the shore and large explosions from their striking shells. Beachhead is shown South of Shanghai, where two divisions of Japanese infantry are seen arriving in landing craft. They advance across the fields toward Shanghai. Map shows Chinese withdrawals to West and South, toward Nanking and Hangchow. Chinese medics along with infantry march in retreat. Japanese pilots are seen being briefed. Next, Japanese Mitsubishi G3M bombers are seen in flight, and bombardiers and other crew in them. Bombs falling on the city. Civilians running for cover as bombs explode. Aichi D3A1 aircraft dropping bombs. The Shanghai waterfront being bombed and civilians running.